NEEA

About us

Pivotal Energy Solutions is a technology company focused on delivering innovative software solutions for the energy efficiency industry.

AXIS, our flagship product, is a cloud-hosted software platform designed to enable operational efficiencies and transparency for energy efficiency program administrators, participants, and downstream stakeholders.

APEX, a web-based simulation solution, enables much needed consistency missing from the industry today for residential energy efficiency program sponsors and downstream stakeholders while maintaining flexibility for energy raters and modelers to utilize their preferred simulation engines.

Pivotal's mission is to enable the transformation of the energy efficiency industry through innovative software solutions that deliver efficiency, accuracy, and transparency. Our passion is to create and deliver software solutions that radically improve the way energy efficiency data is collected and shared to empower a more sustainable future for our world.

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Products

AXIS

AXIS, used by leading program sponsors such as NEEA and Energy Trust of Oregon, and most recently deployed for the national NGBS Green program, serves as a centralized data collection, storage, and sharing hub with integrated workflow management and messaging functionality. In addition to supporting the RESNET energy rating and NGBS Green certification processes, the modular architecture of AXIS allows for customization of functionality, visibility, and workflows to meet program-specific needs.

AXIS is a cloud-based data and workflow management platform that streamlines energy ratings and energy efficiency program participation through data sharing by connecting raters/verifiers, certification organizations, QA organizations, utilities and others using a centralized data repository and modern user interface. Contact us to learn more about AXIS.

APEX

APEX, a cloud-based energy rating software solution targeting residential new construction, leverages the power of DOE's EnergyPlus simulation engine and NREL's OpenStudio-ERI calculation platform to assess the modeled performance of a home relative to a reference home. The energy rating index (ERI) calculated by APEX can be used in a variety of ways, including performance-based energy code compliance, utility incentive program submission, national energy efficiency program certification, 45L tax credit eligibility, and sustainability/ESG reporting. APEX is available today and features a fully supported GUI, supports multiple text file input formats, and is accessible via API or through our AXIS integration.

Latest News

Pivotal Energy Solutions APEX Energy Rating Software Accredited by RESNET

Gilbert, Arizona – Pivotal Energy Solutions, LLC, an innovator in residential energy efficiency software, today announced that the graphical user interface (GUI) version of its APEX energy rating platform has been accredited by RESNET as an approved rating software. With this milestone, APEX is now positioned to compete directly with leading tools such as Ekotrope, REM/Rate, and EnergyGauge USA while also offering unique deployment flexibility through its API-first architecture.

Pivotal’s APEX platform is a cloud-based energy rating software solution built on the U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergyPlus simulation engine and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s OpenStudio-ERI calculation platform. In June 2024, a version of APEX supporting HPXML input was first accredited by RESNET. Now, the new web-based GUI delivers intuitive access for energy raters and modelers while the full APEX calculation engine remains accessible through the APEX API for organizations seeking seamless, automated simulation workflows without direct use of the GUI.

“With the GUI release, APEX is the only web-based, RESNET-accredited energy rating software built on DOE’s EnergyPlus engine and NREL’s OS-ERI platform,” said Steven Klass, co-founder of Pivotal Energy Solutions. “What makes APEX truly different is that individual raters and modelers can utilize our GUI as they do with other rating tools while larger-scale rating operations, utility program implementers, or really anyone looking to standardize on a single, common simulation engine can integrate automated simulation into their workflow directly through the APEX API. That level of functionality and flexibility simply doesn’t exist in the market today.”

The energy rating index (ERI) generated by APEX supports performance-based energy code compliance, national energy efficiency program certifications such as ENERGY STAR, Zero Energy Ready Home, and National Green Building Standard, and 45L tax credit eligibility. APEX also supports simulation using custom user-defined reference homes (UDRH) and generates detailed energy consumption data for use in utility incentive programs.

Dual Pathways for Energy Modelers and Utility Programs
The APEX GUI offers a modern, web-based interface enabling:

• Efficient capture of structural and mechanical home properties
• Real-time data validations during model entry
• Access to built-in industry-standard and custom library elements
• Direct submission to Pivotal’s AXIS platform or export via API

 The APEX API offers a scalable, integration-ready option for:

• Remote, automated energy simulations
• Seamless integration into enterprise workflows
• High-volume batch processing of homes without manual data entry
• Flexible interoperability with AXIS and third-party platforms

Expanding the Pivotal Product Ecosystem
APEX complements Pivotal’s flagship AXIS platform, a robust system for energy efficiency program delivery and data sharing. To date, over 200,000 homes and buildings have been certified using AXIS. Both APEX and AXIS are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), ensuring secure, scalable, and reliable performance.

Bob Burns, Pivotal co-founder, added, “Flexibility is central to our strategy and vision. With APEX, whether you’re a small energy rating company, a national operation, or running a utility incentive program, you can choose the engagement model - GUI or API - that best fits your workflow. Coupled with the transparency enabled by DOE’s and NREL’s open-source platforms, we believe APEX is positioned to play a vital role in driving the industry’s next wave of growth and innovation.”

Availability
The newly accredited APEX GUI and the full-featured APEX API are available now for immediate use. Contact Pivotal to get started.

About Pivotal Energy Solutions
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in the Phoenix, Arizona metro area, Pivotal Energy Solutions is a self-funded SaaS company dedicated to advancing the residential energy efficiency industry. The company develops innovative, cloud-based platforms - including AXIS and APEX - to support energy modeling, compliance, program delivery, and data sharing.

Home Innovation Research Labs Celebrates Certification of 500,000th Green Home in the NGBS Green Program

Home Innovation Research Labs proudly announces a significant milestone in sustainable housing with the certification of the 500,000th green home to the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The project that helped NGBS Green reach this point was Bluebird, a permanent supportive housing facility in Boulder, CO. The NGBS Green Verifier on the project was Sarah Hong, PE, Energy Project Manager for Group14 Engineering, PBC.

The 500,000th NGBS Green Certified Home, Bluebird, is a housing tax credit project developed by Element Properties to provide permanent supportive housing to those experiencing homelessness.

Many of the design features that were pursued to address sustainability, energy + water efficiency, and occupant health and well-being aligned with NGBS principles, allowing the building to achieve NGBS Silver certification. The project also has an energy-efficient design that achieves an EUI of 31.4 kbtu/SF/year – 21% below Colorado’s 2030 benchmarking target. Key features include an above-code envelope, ENERGY STAR appliances, WaterSense-equivalent plumbing fixtures, and high-efficiency cold-climate packaged heat pumps. A central ERV was installed for ventilation, which not only reduces energy consumption, but also provides improved climate resilience and indoor air quality with MERV 13+ filters that are able to capture airborne particulates and pollutants resulting from regional wildfires.

In consideration of its resident population, the building has been designed with trauma-informed design strategies to provide a safe, supportive space for people who have been homeless for years. The site is also located in a central area of Boulder with easy access to bike paths, walking trails, and public transportation, and each resident gets a free bus pass. There is also an onsite solar PV system that not only reduces the energy cost burden on tenants but also reduces the building's greenhouse gas emissions by 12%. The building was designed by Shopworks Architecture and built by I-Kota.

The NGBS Green program, administered by Home Innovation Research Labs, is a comprehensive and rigorous certification that recognizes homes for their commitment to sustainability. Achieving this milestone highlights the growing commitment of homeowners, builders, and communities across the nation to create more sustainable and resilient living spaces.

"We are thrilled to reach the monumental achievement of certifying the 500,000th green home in the NGBS Green program," said Michelle Foster, VP of Sustainability at Home Innovation Research Labs. " This accomplishment underscores the industry’s commitment to the design and construction of sustainable buildings that have a smaller impact on the planet and a big impact on the resident’s lives. Bluebird also showcases the positive impact that sustainable housing can have on our communities."

The NGBS Green program provides a framework for builders and developers to construct homes that are not only energy-efficient but also healthier for occupants and kinder to the environment. The certification process evaluates various aspects of a home, including energy performance, water usage, indoor air quality, and resource efficiency. By meeting the stringent criteria set forth by the NGBS Green program, homeowners can be confident that their homes are contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future.

Learn more about the NGBS Green program by visiting HomeInnovation.com/NGBSGreen today.

Pivotal Announces New APEX Simulation and Analysis Platform

Pivotal Energy Solutions, LLC, based in the Phoenix Arizona metropolitan area, has announced a new simulation solution targeting the residential new construction market. APEX, a simulation solution that utilizes the U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergyPlus simulation engine and OpenStudio-ERI calculation platform, enables the simulation of residential energy model data to generate energy rating index (ERI) and consumption results. APEX results may be used for a variety of purposes including eligibility for 45L tax credits, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed security offerings, performance-based energy code compliance, sustainability/ESG reporting, and incentive calculation for utility incentive programs.

APEX offers unique functionality for energy raters and modelers, utilities and other energy efficiency program sponsors, home builders, code officials, and downstream stakeholders to both validate energy models against specific program requirements and simulate those models using standard program reference homes and/or custom, program-specific user defined reference homes (UDRH’s). APEX’s input validation functionality – which can be run independently from simulation – performs automated checks on the energy model input values to ensure they not only fall within prescribed bounds but are also internally consistent with other home characteristics and specified values. This functionality enables energy raters and modelers to identify and correct issues with their energy models prior to simulation or submission to energy efficiency program administrators.

APEX supports the simulation of energy models using the U.S. Department of Energy’s EnergyPlus and OpenStudio-ERI simulation engine and calculation platform. The EnergyPlus/OpenStudio-ERI solution is an open-source offering from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), meaning that the source code of the software is accessible to anyone to read, examine, and critique – proprietary simulators do not support the same level of transparency. The EnergyPlus/OpenStudio-ERI platform provides consistent, accurate results for an industry under increasing scrutiny due to the availability of 45L federal tax credits for homes meeting specific ERI targets and conforming to federal energy efficiency program requirements.

APEX’s support for standard reference homes and custom user defined reference homes (UDRH’s) also enables unique flexibility within the industry. Using a single energy model, APEX can perform simulations using any number of program-specific reference homes or custom UDRH’s. For example, eligibility for ENERGY STAR, DOE Zero Energy Ready, performance-based energy code compliance, and utility program incentives can all be determined through a single submission to APEX. Energy efficiency program developers and sponsors can also use APEX to enforce program requirements using the APEX input validation and custom UDRH capability to define energy efficiency targets and incentives as their programs evolve. APEX supports energy consumption and ERI calculation for ENERGY STAR, DOE ZERH, and virtually any utility and/or municipality performance-based program.

Bob Burns, co-founder of Pivotal, said, “We’re very excited to be offering this new solution to the industry. APEX enables utilities, builders, code officials, and downstream markets that rely on the modeled performance of homes to utilize a single, DOE-funded, open-source simulation engine, which we believe is a huge benefit to multiple stakeholders. APEX can serve as a ‘normalization tool’ to enable energy raters and modelers to use whichever modeling software they prefer while also providing a single, standard set of results generated by re-simulation of the original input data with EnergyPlus.”

The APEX simulation solution is currently integrated into Pivotal’s AXIS cloud-based platform used for the administration of and participation in a variety of “green” and energy efficient buildings programs. In the near future, APEX simulation and analysis solutions will also be offered as stand-alone cloud-based solution accessible through an application programming interface, or API, for easy integration into existing utility program infrastructure and back office applications.

Burns concluded, “APEX is a very powerful solution being introduced at exactly the right time to meet the residential new construction industry’s needs and support our country’s push toward a more sustainable future. We’re excited that we can play a role in the evolution of the industry.”

For more information about APEX, AXIS or other Pivotal software offerings, please click here to contact us.

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